Mediterranean NewsFlow

June 2021

🌐 CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF GLOBAL WATER PARTNERSHIP

#GWP25years: A global milestone of collaboration and achievement in water resources management

2021 marks 25 years since Global Water Partnership (GWP) was founded with a mission to foster Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) and – ultimately – to achieve a water secure world. During 2021, celebrations will take place throughout the 3000-strong network of Partners, highlighting past successes and setting new goals for future achievements against pressing water challenges.

View the digital timeline

Related news:

- The GWP 2020 Annual Report is now out! Read it here in a new interactive, online format.

📰 NEWS

Launching: the Drin Animated Story!

It is with great pride that we present the Drin Animated Story! A series of animation videos will take you on a journey through the Drin Basin’s complex water system and the challenges it faces. These challenges were identified though the joint efforts to enhance transboundary cooperation implemented by the Drin Riparians with the assistance of the GEF/UNDP/GWP-Med Drin Project. Stay tuned for the launch of the next 3 episodes: Hydrology, Pollution and Biodiversity.

Watch the intro video

Lake Ohrid: a new member in the Ramsar family of Wetlands of International Importance

Lake Ohrid, a 5-million year old lake at the heart of the Western Balkans, home to more than 300 endemic species and sustaining 130,000 people, is set to join the list of Wetlands of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention. The recently adopted Lake Ohrid Watershed Management Plan, the second transboundary plan in the Western Balkans in accordance with the EU Water Framework Directive, developed under the GEF/UNDP/GWP-Med Drin Project, is setting the stage for effective transboundary cooperation for its protection.

On 2 June 2021, GWP-Med and The Coca-Cola Company presented on their 10+ year collaboration on Non Conventional Water Resources technical solutions, at the launch event for the GWP report "Mobilising Change: 10 years of climate resilient water investments".

Ms. Sofia Kilifi, Sustainability & Community Manager Europe, The Coca-Cola Company, and Mr. Vangelis Constantianos, Executive Secretary, GWP-Med, shared the secrets of this successful collaboration yielding 123 technical applications in 4 Μediterranean countries.

Stakeholders explore opportunities to finance Water-Food-Energy-Ecosystems Nexus projects in the Western Balkans

On 26 May 2021, more than 50 participants discussed cross-sectoral solutions to address WEFE Nexus resource management trade-offs at the meeting on “Nexus Solutions and Investments in the Western Balkans”, co-organised by the UNECE, GWP-Med, and the European Investment Bank. The meeting took place in the frame of the SEE Nexus Project, funded by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) and implemented by GWP-Med in partnership with the UNECE.

📅 EVENTS

Join us today: MENA Business and Environmental Leadership Forum

The 2021 MENA Business and Envronmental Leadership Forum will bring together regional and world leading experts on business' role in sustainable development to present best practices and opportunities for advancing green recovery in the MENA region. Join us today, 22 June 14.00-14.30 CET, when GWP-Med will elaborate on the exploration of private, including banking, sector engagement in water financing in MENA, in partnership with UfM and Sida. We will be sharing lessons learned from water efficiency and climate adaptation action in Mediterranean islands/coastal areas (in partnership with The Coca-Cola Company) as well as on the WEFE Nexus/Employability agenda’s evolution in MENA in partnership with UfM and Sida (Matchmaker 2 project) and the MAVA Foundation (GEMWET project). Register here

27-29 September 2021: WEFE Nexus Science Advances Conference

The WEFE Nexus approach is gaining increasing attention for its potential to address cross-sectoral dependencies following a collaborative approach. Reaping the benefits of the Nexus approach requires bridging the gap between science and practice, including broadening the toolkit that will provide clear demonstrations of the proposed solutions to policymakers. Join us at the "Nexus Science Advances Conference" which aims at sharing WEFE Nexus applied best practices worldwide, with a particular focus on the Mediterranean region. Register here.

Related news:

- PRIMA WEFE Nexus Award submissions deadline extended to 15 July. More info & how to apply

🌐 FROM THE GLOBAL WATER PARTNERSHIP NETWORK

Report Launch: Mobilising Change: 10 years of climate resilient water investments

On 2 June, GWP launched the report, “Mobilising Change: 10 years of climate resilient water investments”, a contribution to implementing transformative development to solve climate change challenges to water security. It features stories of change from around the world, containing lessons learned from almost 10 years of experience through the GWP water and climate programme, including the work of GWP-Med and partners in North Western Sahara Aquifer, Mauritania and Tunisia.

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